Amusement device.



B. F. FITCH.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY19,1909.

96L595., Patented June 14,1910.

Y fz Wg j 5 fai j Wwf/Wa@ @Ww 7% y mmwfy Urt SATS BENJAMIN F. FITCH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 EDWIN F.

FITCH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patenten June ai, 191e.

Application led July 19, 1909. Serial No. 508,281.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. FITCH,

.a citizen of the United States,v and residing vice adapted to be employed either as a parlor game to afford amusement in the home, kor to vbe permanently setup 1n amusement parks or resorts or other public places; and to provide a device of cheap and simple construction having a pool table and a guide chute for the balls adapted to direct the balls onto the table. y

A specific construction embodying this invention is shown in the accompanying draw- Fig. 2 is a fragmentary,

ings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary, top plan view of the device showing one of the doors open. side elevation of the device. Fig. 3, is aA section taken on line A-A of F ig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail of the swinging doors and the supporting and tripping mechanism therefor.

In the construction shown, the casing or guide chute comprises a bottom 1 of sheet metal or other preferred material, and side walls 2, which are preferably formed of wood or other light and rigid material. Supported on the side walls 2 is the table top 3, and secured on both the side and end edges of the table is a strip of molding Ll, the inner face of which inclines inwardly and upwardly to form a deflecting cushion for the balls.

The casing or chute is open at its forward end and the side walls 2 thereof are longer than the table top 3, and extend rearwardly beyond the same. The rear ends 5 of said side walls are rounded and extend upwardly beyond the level of the table, as shown more clearly in Figs. 2 and 3. The rear portion 6 of the bottom 1 is curved around the ends 5 ofthe side walls and terminates at a point above the rear end ofthe table 3, thereby forming a ball deflector and leaving an opening 7 between the end of said deiaector and the rear end of the table. A hinge rod 8 is carried in brackets 9 on the end of said por@ tion 6, and hinged thereon are a plurality of swinging doors 10 which normally hang down in front of said end and close the opening 7. lIlVhen balls are thrown into the open end of the casing or chute they are delected upwardly by said deflector through the opening 7 onto the table 3. If said doors are in normal position the balls will strike some of them and swing them upwardly and rearwardly, as shown in Fig.,2.

For the purpose of quickly and easily returning the doors to normal position, a trip rod 11 extends across the portion 6 at a point beneath the ends of the back turned doors, and is bent at its ends downwardly and forwardly and pivoted on the slide walls 2 at 12. One end of said rod is provided with a handle 13, and when the handle is thrown rearwardly the rod is swung 'upwardly and forwardly and turns the doors on their pivot or hinge and permits them to -fall back to closed position.

The table is lprovided in its top with sockets 14 into which the balls may roll, and at its margins is provided with brackets 15 carrying pockets 16 into which the balls may roll. Said sockets and pockets may be arranged in any desired order on the table and are numbered so that when a ball stops in either of them the number may be counted in the score of the player. The doors 10 arel also numbered, and when a door is .turned back or opened by a ball the number thereon may be added to the score of the player. At the forward end of the casing is a detachable extension 17 comprising a bottom plate 18 and narrow sides 19. Saidextension is adapted to be secured to the chute so that the balls may be thrown thereon and directed into the chute. Arms 2O are secured on the sides of the extension and are adapted to lap by the side walls 2 and are provided with notches or seats in their top and bottom edges to receive pins 21 in said side walls. The rear end of said bottom 18 is flush with the forward end of the bottom 1 and inclines downwardly and forwardly therefrom.

rIhe device may be set upon an ordinary table when in use, but it is also provided with leg sockets 22 on the sides 2 in which may be secured legs 23.

The operation of the construction shown is as follows: The device is supported either upon a table or upon the le 23, and the eX- tension 17 is secured in p ace. The balls, which preferably are formed of rubber, are thrown onto the extension y,and into the chute and they are deiiected by the, def-lector 6 upwardly and forwardly onto the table 3. If the doors 10 are down or closed the balls will throw open the ones they'come in contact with, and pass onto the table where they may roll into the sockets 14 or pockets 16and the score is counted accordin to the numbers on the doors through which the balls pass, and at the socketsand pockets int-o which the balls roll. The doors are returned'to normal position by means of the trip rod 11 after 'each layer has completed throwing the balls. I it is desired to pla the ame scientifically, the doors are al raise so as not to interfere with the balls, and the balls may then be thrown so as to enter the table and strike the cushions at'the proper angles to be defiected to the pockets and sockets.

While but one specific construction of the invention .has been `herein shown, it will be understood that numerous details of the .construction shown ma be varied or omitted without departing rom the spirit of this invention.

I claim:

1. The combination with a casing having an open forward end, of a table on said casing, means at the rear end of the casing adapted to deflect balls onto the table, means normally closin the opening between the table and said electing means, and means on the table adapted to receive the balls.

' 2. The combination with a casing having an open forward end, of a table on said oasf said deiector.

4. The combination with a casing, of a table thereon having sockets in its top, y

pockets at the edges of the table, an eX- tension adapted to-be connected to the .forward end of the casing, a deflector yat the rear of the casing, and a hinged on said defiector.

5. The combination with a casin of a table thereon, a curved deflect-or at t e rear of the casing, a plurality ofrdoors hin ed at the forward end of the deiector an normally overhan ing the rear end of the table, and means afapted' to turn the doors 'to normal position. Y

6. The combination with a casing, of a table thereon,.a curved deflectoron the rear end ofsaid casing and extending above the rear end ofthe table, a plurality of numbered doors hinged on the defiector and normally closing the openin between the deilector andthe table', a tmp rod pivoted on the casing and adapted to close said doors, and means for operating said rod.

'In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses. Y

' v'BENJAMIN F. FITCH. Witnesses.: W. W. WITHNBURY,

' L. P. Frron.

plurality of doors 

